Transporter case

ABSTRACT

A security device has been provided for carrying papers of a confidential nature. There is a housing closed at one end for holding water soluble papers and a pouch for holding water therein. The water pouch fits into the housing and includes a tab member for tearing the pouch and releasing the water when pulled. Agitating means is provided comprising effervescent tablets for creating a turbulence in the water when the pouch is torn whereby the papers are destroyed a relatively short time after the tab is pulled.

United States Patent Meyerhoefer Sept. 5, 1972 [54] TRANSPORTER CASE[72] Inventor: Carl H. Meyerhoefer, Huntington,

[73] Assignee: General Signal Corporation,

Rochester, NY.

[22] Filed: May 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 141,864

[52] US. Cl ..109/29, 109/32 [51] Int. Cl ..E05g 3/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..109/25-34 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,606,51611/1926 Daly ..109/32 X 1,808,248 6/1931 Morssen ..109/25 2,384,8269/1945 Ferguson ..109/29 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 960,22110/1949 France ..109/29 399,790 7/1924 Germany ..109/25 PrimaryExaminer-Dennis L. Taylor Attorney-Harold S. Wynn and Milton E. KleinmanABSTRACT A security device has been provided for carrying papers of aconfidential nature. There is a housing closed at one end for holdingwater soluble papers and a pouch for holding water therein. The waterpouch fits into the housing and includes a tab member for tearing thepouch and releasing the water when pulled. Agitating means is providedcomprising effervescent tablets for creating a turbulence in the waterwhen the pouch is torn whereby the papers are destroyed a relativelyshort time after the tab is pulled.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures TRANSPORTER CASE BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONThis invention relates to a device for securely transporting papershaving means to destroy the papers when desired.

In order to prevent the unauthorized inspection of confidential materialin transit, it may be necessary at certain times to permanently disposeof the papers so that it would be impossible to retrieve the informationrecorded. It may also be necessary to be secretive about the manner ofdisposal so that the destructive process can be completed. Tearing,burning or destruction of the papers by chemical means may beconspicuous and dangerous in certain cases.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a meansfor carrying confidential papers and permanently disposing of them in anefficient manner which obviates some of the disadvantages andshortcomings of prior methods.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a safe andinconspicuous means of disposing of confidential documents.

It is another object of the present invention to prvide a non-hazardousand effective means of such transportation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION There has been provided a security device forcarrying papers of a confidential nature including a housing closed atone end for holding water soluble papers therein. There is also includeda pouch adapted to fit into the housing for holding water which has atab member for tearing the pouch and releasing the water when pulled.Agitating means is provided comprising effervescent tablets for creatinga turbulence in the water when the pouch is torn, whereby the papers aredestroyed a relatively short time after the string is pulled.

For a better understanding of the present invention together with otherand further objects thereof, reference is directed to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, whileits scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side partially sectioned sideelevation of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another side elevation shown in a different perspective, and

FIG. 3 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail of the cover portion of the apparatus shown in theprevious figures;

FIG. 5 is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a detail of the cover portion shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The apparatus of the presentinvention 10 is generally described as a security device for carryingpapers of a confidential nature. The apparatus includes a housing 11having a closed bottom end and an open top and may be convenientlymolded out of some plastic material although this is not essential tothe operation of the present invention. The housing includes ribbedmembers 12 which are shown more clearly in FIG. 3 as corrugations 12which extend axially with the side walls of the housing 11. Watersoluble paper 14 is rolled or folded in such a manner so as to fit intothe housing 11 and the corrugations 12 provide a spacing between thewalls of the housing 11 at portion 12A of the corrugations which touchthe paper 14. There are also included bosses 13 disposed in the bottomportion of the housing 11, which space the paper away from the bottom ofthe housing 11. The closed end of the housing 11 includes a receptaclesection 15 for holding effervescent tablets 16 which when the housing 11is carried lie securely therein. A flexible plastic bag 17 is providedwhich has a tab member 18, a heat sealed zipper portion 19 and a stringmember 20 attached securely to the tab 18. The string 20 may be a nyloncord which is provided for strength and which will not tend to breakwhen pulled. The bag 17 has a collar 21 which fits securely to a covermember 24 about a sleeve 22. The top cover 24 also includes a fillertube 25 integrally joined with the cover 24. The cover 24 for thehousing 11 is provided with a cap 19 having a rubber seal 27. There isalso provided in the cover 24 a hole 28 wherein a grommet 26 is securelyfastened. The grommet 26 has a hole 30 through which the string member20 is passed and which itself is substantially watertight when thestring is passed therethrough. It may be convenient not to put the hole30 in the grommet 26 and merely pass the string through the grommet by.use of a needle and thread arrangement.

The cap 24 may be secured by draw catches 31 which are mounted to thehousing 11 integrally therewith. The draw catches 31 engage a lipmembers 32 which, when the cover 24 is secured to the housing 11, snapover the lips 32 and hold the cap 24 tightly in engagement with thehousing 1 1. There is also provided another rubber seal 33 for assuringthat this portion of the housing remains water tight.

The operation of the apparatus of the present invention may be describedas follows. The effervescent tablets 16 are placed in the receptaclearea 15 and the papers 14 are placed within the housing. The string 20attached to tab 18 is drawn through the grommet 26 which is fitted inhole 28 in cover 24. The pouch 17 is heat sealed at its bottom 29. Aheat seal is also produced at its collar 21 to sleeve 22 beforeinsertion into housing 11. The draw catches 31 engage with the lipportions 32 of the housing to seal the cover 24. The pouch 17 may now befilled with water through neck 25 and the filler cap 19 placed over neck25. The ap paratus is now secure and a pull ring 33 may be attached tothe string 20 and fit or placed over the filler cap 27 for convenience.

If it becomes necessary to destroy the papers 14 within the housing 11,the courier merely pulls the ring 33 off the filler cap 26 and draws thestring 20 out through the hole 30. The tab 18 engaged with the pouch 17along heat sealed zipper 19 tears this zipper when the string 20 ispulled. The water flows from the pouch into the housing and activatesthe effervescent tablets 16 for agitating the mixture within the housing11. Generally, itwould not be necessary to provide the effervescenttablets if some other form of agitation were provided as, for example,merely manually shaking the device, but it is contemplated that thedestruction of the papers be secretive and the effervescent tablets 16provide the necessary agitation to destroy the papers 14 ratherinconspicuously in about a minute.

The ribs or corrugations l2 and the bosses 13 provide an easy path forthe water to dissipate about the outside portion of the papers 14 sothat maximum surface area of the paper is effected with the turbulenteffervescent water mixture within the shortest amount of time.

The flexible plastic bag 17 was chosen for the pouch because it colapsesrather easily and permits the water to seek its own level within thehousing 1 l as fast as the water can flow out of the torn zipper 19.

An alternate form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5-7. This form is acircular model not as streamlined as that shown in FIGS. 1-4.

Those portions of the device substantially the same and having the samefunctions as in the previously described embodiment are labelled withthe same reference numerals. The apparatus includes a cylindricalhousing 11', ribs 12, and bosses 13. The papers 14 are fitted into thehousing 11' and supported by bosses 13 at the bottom so that water canflow under about the papers 14. The area 15' for the tablets 16 isprovided and functions as previously described.

The pouch l7 is sealed at its collar 21 to the sleeve 22' of the cover24. The cover 24 is secured to the housing 11' by threaded ring 34 whichhas a ledge 37 and which in cooperation with seal 33 provides a watertight fitting.

The basic difference in the embodiments, therefore, is cylindrical shapeversus the flat case of FIGS. 1-4 and the manner in which the tops 24and 24' are secured to the housing. It should be further pointed outthat the tab 18 in FIG. 6 is shown outside the pouch 17 which in FIG. 1is inside. This is due to the respective positioning of holes 28 incovers 24 and 24. In the former case, the hole 28 is within the sleeve22 and in the latter to the outside of sleeve 22'.

There has therefore been provided an apparatus for disposing ofconfidential material in a secretive way which is simple to execute andparticularly efficient in its mode of operation. The apparatus iscapable of being constructed of a lightweight plastic material which maysustain the pressure produced by the effervescent action of the waterreacting with the tablets.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may bemade therein without departing from the invention and it is thereforeaimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modificationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A security device for carrying papers of a confidential naturecomprising,

a housing including a tubular member closed at one end for holding watersoluble papers therein, a pouch for holding water therein and includinga tab member for tearing the pouch and releasing the water when ul ed dagitating meaiis inci iiing effervescent tablets for creating aturbulence in the water when the pouch is torn whereby the papers aredestroyed a relatively short time after the tab is pulled.

2. The security device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes:

a plurality of corrugated protrusions disposed axially about the innerwalls of the tubular member; and a plurality of boss members disposed atthe bottom end of the tubular member for spacing the papers away fromthe bottom, said protrusions and bosses providing spacing for water tofreely flow about the paper surfaces.

3. The security device of claim 1 wherein the tubular member is moldedintegrally.

4. The security device of claim 1 including:

a cover member for sealing the top of the housing having a sleeveportion extending inwardly of the housing; and

the pouch includes a collar engaging the open end of the pouch and formounting within the tubular member, said collar having a hole thereinfor filling.

5. The security device of claim 1 wherein the pouch includes a heatsealed zipper attached to the tab member for tearing and releasing thewater when the tab is pulled.

6. The security device of claim 1 further including:

a string member attached to the tab for reaching past the open end ofthe housing,

a cap member adapted securely over the opening in the housing having afiller hole and another hole for passing the string therethrough.

7. The security device of claim 6 further including a grommet memberfitting sealably into the hole in the cap member, the string memberpassing through a hole in the grommet to provide a tight seal for thepreven tion of leakage.

8. The security device of claim 6 wherein the housing includes a snapfitting draw catch integral with the tubular member and the cap includesa lip portion for engaging the draw catches snuggly for securing the captightly to the housing.

9. The security device of claim 6 wherein the cap and the filler holeeach have a sealing member adapted to provide a water seal when thehousing and cap are closed.

10. The security device of claim 6 wherein the housing includes a ringmember having a ledge for engaging the cap member and threading over theopen end of the housing to close the apparatus.

1. A security device for carrying papers of a confidential naturecomprising, a housing including a tubular member closed at one end forholding water soluble papers therein, a pouch for holding water thereinand including a tab member for tearing the pouch and releasing the waterwhen pulled, and agitating means including effervescent tablets forcreating a turbulence in the water when the pouch is torn whereby thepapers are destroyed a relatively short time after the tab is pulled. 2.The security device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes: a pluralityof corrugated protrusions disposed axially about the inner walls of thetubular member; and a plurality of boss members disposed at the bottomend of the tubular member for spacing the papers away from the bottom,said protrusions and bosses providing spacing for water to freely flowabout the paper surfaces.
 3. The security device of claim 1 wherein thetubular member is molded integrally.
 4. The security device of claim 1including: a cover member for sealing the top of the housing having asleeve portion extending inwardly of the housing; and the pouch includesa collar engaging the open end of the pouch and for mounting within thetubular member, said collar having a hole therein for filling.
 5. Thesecurity device of claim 1 wherein the pouch includes a heat sealedzipper attached to the tab member for tearing and releasing the waterwhen the tab is pulled.
 6. The security device of claim 1 furtherincluding: a string member attached to the tab for reaching past theopen end of the housing, a cap member adapted securely over the openingin the housing having a filler hole and another hole for passing thestring therethrough.
 7. The security device of claim 6 further includinga grommet member fitting sealably into the hole in the cap member, thestring member passing through a hole in the grommet to provide a tightseal for the prevention of leakage.
 8. The security device of claim 6wherein the housing includes a snap fitting draw catch integral with thetubular member and the cap includes a lip portion for engaging the drawcatches snuggly for securing the cap tightly to the housing.
 9. Thesecurity device of claim 6 wherein the cap and the filler hole each havea sealing member adapted to provide a water seal when the housing andcap are closed.
 10. The security device of claim 6 wherein the housingincludes a ring member having a ledge for engaging the cap member andthreading over the open end of the housing to close the apparatus.